Cat Instincts
by kenala-chronicles
Summary: Hey everyone. I thought I'd let you know I am working on a alternate version of Cat Instincts and am going to post it for you all to see. Please write and let me know which one you like better and I will continue that one. :
1. Prolouge

Prolouge:

There weren't many things in this world that could scare the famous high school detective, Kudo Shinichi, except for a certain criminal organization. Right now his worst fears had come to life. That same organization had finally found him. On the other end of the phone he was holding, Haibara's voice came in desperately,

"Kudo-kun? Are you listening to me? You need to get out of there now!"

Shinichi gulped,

"Ran…I can't leave Ran…."

A frustrated sigh met his ears,

"I know, I know. Wake her up; get her here!"

Shinichi gave a shaky agreement and hung up the phone. He dashed into Ran's room, calling out her name desperately,

"Ran! Ran, wake up!"

The teenage girl didn't stir. Cursing Shinichi grabbed his voice changing bowtie from his pocket, cranking up the volume he yelled,

"WAKE UP!"

Ran started from her sleep, blinking blearily at him,

"C…Conan-kun? Wh-"

Conan cut her off,

"Get up, out of the bed, come on."

He tugged her hands and in her half asleep state Ran stood up and followed him into the living room.

"Conan-kun? What's going on?"

Her charge shook his head impatiently,

"No time to explain, _come on_!"

He gabbed her hand and dragged her down the stairs and out the door of the detective agency. Ran blinked in confusion, where were they going this late at night? Conan's small hand was sweaty and tense. His voice seemed to have deepened as he urgently tugged her behind him.

"Hurry! You can't drag your feet." There was a flash of headlights ahead, heading in the same direction they were coming from. Conan cursed but before Ran could reprimand him he shoved her into a dark alleyway, pressing her against the wall with his small body. The car passed them, not even noticing the two. Ran noticed that it was black and…a Porsche, perhaps? Conan cursed again and grabbed her hand,

"Run!"

Terrified, she realized, Conan was absolutely terrified. Pausing she scooped Conan up into her arms before he could ask why she had stopped,

"It would be faster like this, ne?"

Ran took off with him, holding the young boy close,

"What's going on, Conan-kun? What has you so scared?"

Conan gulped, looking up at her,

"Please," he whispered hoarsely, "Just run…to Agasa's house as fast as you can."

Ran nodded and took off. She didn't know what had scared her charge like this but she didn't protest. If it meant that much to him she would do it. They arrived at the professor's house rather quickly. It was young Ai-chan who opened the door and ushered them in. She looked out behind them, as if to make sure they hadn't been followed and then quickly shut the door, locking it.

"This way." she murmured

Stunned Ran followed her down into the basement and watched as she locked that door as well.

"Ai-chan? Where is Agasa-hakase?"

"Safe." came the reply, "As are your parents and their parents."

She jerked her thumb to the corner where the Detective Boys were huddled together. Also with them were Heiji and Kazuha, were was trying to calm the children down. Heiji got up as they approached,

"Nee-chan…glad you could make it…"

She nodded in agreement, glancing down at her charge. Conan had buried his face into her shoulder, small hands gripping her night shirt tightly. Heiji watched him in concern before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Conan jumped at his touch but quickly relaxed when he realized who it was. He licked his dry lips,

"Hattori…They found you too?"

To his relief Heiji shook his head,

"No but I imagine it's only a matter of time until they do."

He jerked his thumb in the direction of Ai,

"That little nee-chan warned me of the same thing so I grabbed Kazuha and booked it over here."

Conan glanced down at her,

"T-Thanks…Haibara…"

The shrunken scientist shrugged,

"Don't thank me just yet…They'll find this place soon enough."

She moved toward her experiment table where a strange machine was sitting. It was small, about the size of a soccer ball and was hollow inside. Haibara placed her hand on the device,

"This is something that the professor and I have been working on. It might be able to get us away from the organization but it hasn't been tested on humans…so it could very well kill us."

Conan huffed,

"Well if it doesn't then the organization certainly will. At least this gives us a fighting chance."

He glanced up at Ran,

"You can put me down now, Ran-nee-chan."

The teenage girl nodded still confused as to what was going on. She gently placed the young boy on the ground,

"Conan-kun? Who are _they_ and why are they chasing you?"

A shadow fell across the boy's face before he exchanged glances with Ai. She shrugged,

"It's up to you now, tantei-kun, we could die either way."

Conan nodded stiffly, taking off his glasses. He gazed up at Ran,

"Could you come closer…Ran…"

Ran nodded and crouched down to where they were eye level. Heaving a shuttering sigh Conan reached his hands to her face,

"I will always, _always_ love you Ran. I have for a long time."

And before Ran could question what he meant her charge brushed his lips against hers. The contact was brief as Conan quickly moved away from her, blushing madly. He turned to Haibara,

"Activate it."

The shrunken scientist gave a small nod, thumbing a button on the machine's base. The hollow circle began to swirl and hum as it started up. Before long a small blue-green thread was created in front of them. Before Conan could ask what it was a bang came from the top floor. The door had been blown in. Haibara's eyes widened in horror as Heiji cursed,

"Damn it! They've found us!"

Conan quickly grabbed a hold of his shrunken comrade,

"Focus, Haibara! How do we use this thing?"

"Y-You jump in…and hope it doesn't kill you."

The young detective nodded grabbing a hold of her hand then reached out to Ran, who tenderly grasped the proffered hand. Kazuha stood ushering the children with her. She stood over next to Ran as the children crowded around Conan and Ai. Heiji took Kazuha's other side and gently squeezed her fingers in reassurance. There was pounding at the basement door, They would infiltrate the basement soon. The group huddled together and with a final nod to each other jumped into the swirling vortex, just as the basement door burst open.


	2. The Truth is Finally Revealed

Conan groaned slightly, eyes cracking open.

'Where am I?' he thought weakly

A large, thick forest encircled him. It's leaves a multitude of red, gold, and orange.

'Fall?' Conan thought incredulously, 'but it was Spring a few minutes ago!'

The shrunken detective tried to push himself to his feet, to try to discover what was going on. Almost immediately a heavier weight pushed him back down. Panicking the faux-boy surged upward, trying to knock whatever the weight was off. To his relief it fell without a fight and landed with a heavy thumb beside him. Conan glanced over instinctively and gasped in shock. A cat? A cat shouldn't be that heavy…or that large. Gulping the detective looked down and discovered that where his hands should be were small white paws. He yelped, springing to his paws and nearly running into the other cat. He quickly glanced at it then paused. A she-cat, he realized….and a beautiful one at that. Padding closer to her on unsteady paws he noticed that she seemed vaguely familiar to him. Her scent wreathed around him and he drunk it in, recognizing it,

"Ran…?" he asked softly

He touched his nose to her forehead out of instinct before beginning to lick her between her ears. Ran shifted and her eyes fluttered open,

"C-Conan-kun?" she asked blearily

Conan blinked in surprise, how had she known who he was? Was it possible she recognized his scent as well? He blushed at the thought. He was fairly certain that the only way he could dissertate it was her was the fact that he was in love with her. He quickly shook those thoughts from his head but before he could respond to her Ran pressed her muzzle against his,

"Thank goodness, you're safe."

The young tom blinked,

"A-Ah*"

Ran shook her head lightly,

"I remember there were people chasing us, chasing _you_. A-And Ai-chan's machine…what's going on Conan-kun?"

Conan grimaced inwardly….this was kind of an awkward way to tell her the truth, but it's not like he had much of a choice. There was no way to get his old body back now…at least for the time being. Drawing in a breath he began,

"Well…as for the people who were chasing me, they're called the Black Organization. It's a large mafia-like criminal organization that has far reaching arms even into countries outside of Japan. Sometimes one isn't even safe in the police force. I've been running from and tracking them down for about two years now…around the same time that I came to live with you and Occ-chan. I…I saw something relating to their criminal activities after that murder case in Tropical Land. There were two of them…while I was spying on the large one, Vodka as I'd later learn, his partner moved around from the back and struck me on the head. While I was half-conscious they force-fed me a drug. It was a poison that was supposed to kill me but instead shrunk me back into my seven-year-old self."

Ran blinked at him in confusion,

"But Conan-kun…you were seven when you came to live with me and Dad. Unless…."

She trailed off, eying him strangely. Sighing Conan brushed his glasses off with a paw, vaguely startled there were still on his face,

"It's me, Ran….I-I'm so sorry…that I've kept it from you this long. I honestly didn't think I would be like this for as long as I have."

"S-Shinichi?"

The young tom nodded miserably, waiting for her to strike him. He didn't know whether or not Ran would be able to employ her fierce karate skills as a cat but he wouldn't surprised if she could. What he wasn't expecting was for her to wrap her forepaws around him, crying softly into his fur,

"You're here! You've been here this entire time….you didn't leave me."

"Ran…" he murmured sadly

His childhood pulled away from him and cuffed him hard between the ears. Conan, or Shinichi rather, ducked away from her, head stinging from the impact.

"That's for lying to me." she growled

Shinichi winced at her tone. Ran sighed,

"We'll have to talk more later…right now we need to figure out where we are and wake the others."


	3. Mitsuhiko in Danger

Cat Instincts Ch.2

Shinichi sighed as Ran padded away from him, toward two larger cats that he guessed were Heiji and Kazuha. He himself made his way over to where the Detective Boys were, or who he guessed were the Detective boys. There were four of them, all around his size. A golden-brown tabby she-cat was the first to stir. She blinked up blearily at him,

"Kudo-kun? Is that you?"

"Haibara, ka*? Yeah, it's me. Are you ok?"

Haibara rolled her shoulders experimentally,

"A little stiff but I'll survive."

Shinichi nodded in acknowledgement. He gave a once over to the remaining children, they seemed to be fine.

"I suppose we need to wake them up."

Haibara merely nodded, watching as Shinichi made his way over to the children, kits now. He nosed them individually,

"Guys, guys wake up."

Ayumi was the first to awaken, she immediately flung herself on him,

"Conan-kun!" she cried.

Shinichi blinked at his false name, before placing a comforting paw on her back. 'She must still be remembering the time in the professor's basement. It was pretty scary, especially for someone her age.'

"Don't worry, Ayumi-chan…I'm here."

They stayed like that for a moment before he pulled away from her.

"Come on, we have to wake the others."

The small red-brown she-cat nodded and went over to the smaller of the two remaining kits. 'Mitsuhiko…' Conan surmised. He padded over to the larger kit,

"Genta, Genta! Wake up you great lug."

The large tom kit jerked awake, blinking in confusion.

"W-what?"

"Are you alright?"

Genta stared at him strangely,

"Conan? Why are you a cat?"

The shrunken detective shrugged,

"I guess it was a side-effect of Haibara's machine."

Genta blinked, then shook his head. Conan backed up as his friend stumbled to his paws. At the same time a shout of,

"Conan-kun!"

Drew his attention. Ayumi was staring at him, fear and pleading in her eyes. Haibara was bent over Mitsuhiko, gently licking him. Exchanging glances with Genta, the two made their way over to the girls. Ayumi embraced them as they approached,

"Mitsuhiko-kun! Mitsuhiko-kun won't wake up!" she sobbed

Conan bristled,

"What?"

Haibara looked up at him, eyes grave,

"He's going into shock." she murmured

Conan swiftly moved to his friend's side,

"Has he been wounded?"

Haibara nodded,

"Gunshot wound, to his hind leg. A bullet must have ricocheted when the Organization busted down the basement door. I found some cobwebs and wrapped his leg…but I don't know what herbs will help him. If something isn't done soon….he might never wake up"

Conan cursed, straitening himself.

"Ayumi, Genta, settle by him keep him warm. Haibara keep pressure on his wound. I'm going to find help."

Haibara opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it.

"Be careful."

He nodded, turning to dash into the forest. He paused glancing back at Ran. The calico seemed to sense him and, after exchanging a few words with a tan tabby she-cat, padded over to him,

"Shinichi?" she murmured, "What's going on?"

"Mitsuhiko…" he sighed, "He's going into shock. I need to find him help."

Ran glanced over at the Detective Boys, worry in her eyes,

"But where, Shinichi? We're cats…I don't think other cats can help us."

Her childhood friend shrugged,

"You never know."

Ran merely nodded in agreement. She offered him an understanding look,

"Then I'll come with you."

"Ran…"

His friend cuffed him playfully,

"Oh, no mister detective! I'm not letting you out of my sight!"

Shinichi sighed but when looked up his eyes were smiling,

"Fine. But we need to be careful."

Ran nodded and both made their way deeper into the foliage. Before long Shinichi was in the lead, periodically opening his maw to taste the air. There was a rustle in the bushes about one hundred yards ahead of them. Shinichi passed his tail across Ran's chest, causing her to pause. He made a motion to stay quiet and the two crouched down and crawled forward. As they got closer angry voices rose behind the hedge row.

"Once a kittypet, always a kittypet!"

Ran and Shinichi exchanged looks before deciding to peek in on the conversation. There were seven cats in a clearing by a stream.

"Cats…" Ran breathed.

One of the larger cats, a brown tabby, swung his head to where they were hiding. Shinichi gulped, then pushed his way from their cover despite a hissing protest from Ran. Seven pairs of eyes fell on him. Braving their stares Shinichi stepped forward. The brown tabby snarled at him,

"Intruder!"

Then he lunged, teeth and claws bared.

"Tigerclaw!" one of the she-cats called, startled. But it was too late. Shinichi closed his eyes, awaiting the blow. What he didn't expect was the tabby, Tigerclaw, yowling in surprise and a shadow falling over him. He opened his eyes and glanced upward. Ran was standing protectively over him, fur bristling along her spine. Her claws were unsheathed and she hissed as Tigerclaw attempted another attack.

"Enough!" A voice commanded.

Tigerclaw stepped back reluctantly and Ran allowed her fur to lie flat. Shinichi crawled out from underneath her, watching as a blue-grey she-cat approached them. It was obvious she held a position of power over the other cats. Shinichi bowed his head in respect. Ran, sensing the same thing, followed his example. The she-cat pierced them with an ice-blue gaze,

"What are loners doing on ThunderClan territory?" she demanded.

Shinichi glanced up at her,

"Forgive us, we came in search for help."

The she-cat gave him a strange look,

"Help? What do you need help with?"

He and Ran exchanged looks,

"One of our kits is very sick…he has gone into shock do to an injury…we need a cat well versed in herbs…otherwise he will die."

The she-cat scrutinized them,

"Your kits? You mean you are mates?"

Shinichi took a step back waving a paw wildly,

"No, no, we're…uh…like a family. Even though we're not related. Eh…" he trailed off under Ran's annoyed gaze.

The calico met the other cat's eyes,

"All we ask is for help to save this kit…then we'll be on our way."

"Wait…" the she-cat said, "You fight well…for a loner. We'll help you."

She turned to the surrounding cats,

"Willowpelt, Darkstripe, Graypaw, follow them and help them get to camp. I'll go back with Tigerclaw, Yellowfang and Firepaw."

The cats in question dipped their heads,

"Yes, Bluestar."

"Thank you," Ran breathed.

Bluestar nodded to her,

"Spottedleaf will be on standby when you get back…it shouldn't be very far from where you are sheltering."

With that the two parties went their separate ways. The Clan cats were quiet during they journey, a grim atmosphere settling over them. The group quickly made it back to the others. Kazuha and Heiji were watching over the kits. Shinichi bounded up to them,

"How is he?" he asked worriedly

Heiji glanced at him,

"Not good…his pulse is fast but weak…did you find help?"

The brown kit nodded, gesturing to the Clan cats with his tail.

"Their leader has offered a place for us to stay and treatment for Mitsuhiko."

Heiji glanced up at them and nodded. Shinichi padded over to Haibara,

"Can we move him?"

The she-cat nodded,

"It should be fine…but we need to be careful."

"I'll carry him then," Kazuha said, gently picking the tortoiseshell tom up by the scruff.

"Let me help." Heiji offered, "It would probably be best if he lies flat on your back."

Haibara nodded in agreement and after getting Mitsuhiko situated, they followed the Clan cats back to their camp.


	4. Ran's Decision

Cat Instincts Ch. 3

Shinichi fell in beside the smaller cat, Graypaw, he remembered.

"So…can you tell me about this Clan that you're a member of?"

Graypaw gave him a strange look,

"You mean you've never heard of the four Clans who live in this forest?"

"Four?" Shinichi asked incredibly, "You're not the only one?"

Graypaw shook his head,

"No, we compete with the other Clans for resources. They steal prey from our territory, those flea-bitten, pieces of fox dung…"

The grey kit glared at the ground for a moment then looked back up at Shinichi,

"So you have never heard of us?"

This time Shinichi shook his head,

"We-uh-come from a place far away from here. We've been traveling for a long time."

Graypaw nodded in understanding,

"You know…you sound a lot older than you look…"

Shinichi gave a dry laugh, 'Oh, you don't know the half of it…' he thought. But to Graypaw he just gave a nod,

"Yeah…I get that a lot."

The two older cats at the front stopped in front of a gorse covered tunnel and turned back to their guests.

"This is the entrance to our camp." the she-cat explained.

The former humans merely nodded and followed the two as they disappeared inside. The tunnel was long and the ground was worn by generations of paw prints. Finally they squeezed out of the opposite side and into a clearing. Shinichi gasped in wonder at the advancement of the camp. The cats had some how built dens out of twigs and ferns on different sides of the camp. Many cats were just laying about and grooming each other. On the furthest side of the clearing sat Bluestar and another she-cat. They looked up as the party came closer and the tortoiseshell she-cat bounded over to them,

"Where is the injured kit?"

"Here," Kazuha called, "He's on my back."

The she-cat, Shinichi assumed to be the Spottedleaf that Bluestar had mentioned before, quickly took Mitsuhiko from Kazuha and checked him over,

"It looks like he got here in time. I should be able to save him."

She gently grabbed the tortoiseshell tom by his scruff and retreated to a den in the back of the camp. Haibara quickly followed her. Bluestar watched her go then approached the remaining loners.

"Is anyone else hurt beside that kit?"

Everyone shook their heads, voicing their health. Ran dipped her head at Bluestar,

"Thank you again for sheltering us."

Bluestar's eyes softened,

"Of course…you showed bravery when you confronted us and defended yourself well when Tigerclaw attacked. You would make a fine warrior."

Ran ducked her head at the she-cat's compliment, ears burning with embarrassment,

"It wasn't that much…." she murmured modestly.

Bluestar gave her a thoughtful look,

"Why don't you come with me…bring your friends with you."

Ran blinked in curiosity then followed the she-cat out of the hollow. Shinichi and Heiji exchanged glances before shrugging and padding after the two. Kazuha looked between them and the Detective Boys, who were staring forlornly at the medicine cat's den.

"Heiji!" she called, "I'm going to stay with the children. I think they want to be where Mitsuhiko-kun is."

Heiji glanced back at her, concern in his eyes and turned to look after the retreating backs of the group he had planned on going with. Shinichi paused for a moment, looking back at him, motioning that he and Ran would be fine. Heiji nodded to him, relief obvious on his face. He turned back to Kazuha and bounded to her side. Shinichi smiled knowingly before quickly catching up with his childhood friend and Bluestar. Before long they arrived at a sandy hollow. Shinichi glanced around curiously,

"What is this place?"

"This is where apprentices train to become warriors." Bluestar answered

"Heh…."

Beside him, Ran gave the she-cat a weird look,

"Apprentices? Warriors?"

Bluestar dipped her head toward the calico,

"Apprentices are young cats of six moons old that we train to become warriors. Warriors hunt for and protect their Clan. Apprentices train by learning how to hunt and fight although not all of them are meant to be warriors; some find the role of medicine cat more to their calling."

"Medicine cat?" Ran inquired, "You mean that Spottedleaf per-ah, cat that is helping Mitsuhiko-kun?"

Bluestar gave a nod, gesturing toward Shinichi with her tail,

"You're friend and the other young ones are old enough to be apprentices….and you are old enough to be a warrior."

The leader blinked,

"I've brought you here to access you're skills…and to ask if you would like to join our Clan."

Ran gapped in surprise, while Shinichi's eyes narrowed in suspicion,

"So you want to fight with her…to see if she's good enough to join your little Clan?" he growled, moving protectively in front of his childhood friend.

"Do not worry…my claws will be sheathed. I would not hurt another cat unless they threatened my Clan."

When the shrunken detective still seemed unconvinced, Ran pressed her muzzle against his cheek,

"It's ok…I believe she is telling the truth."

Shinichi gazed at her doubtfully,

"But, Ran…"

"Don't worry so much," she winked at him, "I can handle myself."

Shinichi lowered his head then gave Ran a tentative lick on her shoulder, as high as he could reach in his small form,

"Just be careful." he murmured.

Ran nodded and stepped to face the she-cat,

"I'm ready."

Bluestar nodded at her,

"Very well, come at me."


	5. Medicine Cats and the Naming Ceremony

Cat Instincts Ch. 4

Haibara watched quietly as Spottedleaf tended to Mitsuhiko. The kit's breathing had become more regular since he arrived here but the scientist was still wary of the cats who offered to take them in so quickly. Behind her Ayumi and Genta looked on with concern, trembling as Spottedleaf changed the cobweb that she had used to bind Mitsuhiko's wound. It was covered in blood. The tortoiseshell she-cat paused in her ministrations, glancing up at the audience that had gathered at the entrance to her den. Sympathy sparked in her eyes and she made her way over to them. Haibara backed away from her, positioning herself defensively in front of the Detective Boys. Spottedleaf stopped a few inches from her,

"I understand of you are scared," she murmured, "But there is no need to fear me, I am here to help."

Hiabara's muscles relaxed at her tone of voice, some kind of instinct telling her she could trust the she-cat. The golden tabby shook herself out of her reverie, keeping a guarded expression,

"How is he?" she asked quietly

The tortoiseshell glanced back at her patient,

"It is hard to say…I've done all I can for him, but this upcoming Sunrise will be critical. If he survives then I believe I can safely say he will recover."

She turned back to the young cats, eyes softening,

"Would you like to see him?"

Ayumi and Genta nodded furiously while Haibara just dipped her head in agreement.

"Alright, but remember he needs his rest."

She stepped aside allowing the two younger kits to charge to their friend's side while Haibara followed more slowly. Ayumi leaned over Mitsuhiko, gently licking him between the ears, her eyes brimming with sadness. Genta sat close to her side, their fur brushing. He bent his head so that his chin was touching the top of her head. Haibara joined their side, touching her nose to Mitsuhiko's,

"You have to get better…" she whispered

Spottedleaf joined her, placing her tail on her shoulder in a comforting manner,

"I-I'm sorry I can't do more…" she choked, her voice thick with guilt

Haibara glanced up at her surprised and for the first time she noticed how young the tortoiseshell was, probably only as old as herself, in human years…had she been her normal age. Her eyes softened,

"It's ok," she told her softly, "You're doing your best…I'm sure he'll be fine."

She turned her head back to Mitsuhiko,

"I want to help…is there anything I can do?"

Spottedleaf's eyes narrowed in sympathy,

"I could teach you some of the herbs we use." she offered

Haibara pushed herself to her paws,

"I would appreciate that, thank you."

Spottedleaf led her to the back of the den, where she kept the storage of herbs. She lead Haibara over to a cleft in the wall and gestured to a pile of small, delicate green leaves. Haibara bent her head forward, taking a cautious sniff,

"That is thyme," the tortoiseshell she-cat explained, "It's what I have been using to treat your friend…Mitsuhiko, right?"

Haibara merely nodded and continued to inspect the medicine cleft. There were several dozen kinds of leaves, roots, and seeds. There was even a hole with massive amounts of cobwebs in it. Haibara flicked her tail in the direction of the cobwebs,

"You use that to stop bleeding, right?"

Spottedleaf nodded,

"Yes, very good."

The golden tabby moved on to a cove with hundreds of small black seeds,

"I saw you give these to Tsuburaya-kun as well…what are they?"

"Poppy seeds…they help with pain."

"Did you find any foreign objects in his leg?"

Spottedleaf slowly shook her head,

"I did not find any twig debris…"

Haibara brushed a tail over Spottedleaf shoulders,

"I'm not talking about forest debris…it will be hard and shiny, like a stone."

Haibara padded over to Mitsuhiko's side,

"Would you mind if I looked?"

Dipping her head, Spottedleaf removed the cobweb from Mitsuhiko's leg. The bleeding had long since stopped but the area around the wound was red and swollen. Ayumi and Genta looked up as she bent over and began to lick the wound,

"Spottedleaf? Do you have anything for infection?"

The medicine cat nodded,

"Yes, I have some chervil, I'll go get some."

While she went and did that, Haibara set to work pulling out the metal slivers she had seen in the young tom's leg. Spottedleaf hurried back over to her and dropped a pile of chervil at her paws, guilt flooding her eyes,

"I should have seen that….the wound wouldn't have gotten infected if I had…"

"Don't blame yourself…you couldn't have possibly have know what this was…you did the best you knew how to."

She began chewing up the chervil leaves and spreading the paste in Mitsuhiko's wound.

"You are very knowledgeable," Spottedleaf commented

"I-I get told that a lot…"

Haibara finished spreading the paste and Spottedleaf came over with fresh cob web, wrapping it around the treated wound. Sitting back Haibara allowed herself to feel proud of her ministrations,

"He should have a better chance now." she turned to Spottedleaf, "Thank you for your help…"

Spottedleaf opened her mouth to reply when a voice called out to her,

"Ah, Spottedleaf? I brought you some prey."

A handsome ginger tom pushed his way through the lichen covering the entrance to the medicine cats den. He had a vole in his mouth, his striking green eyes were glittering in worry. He dropped the vole at Spottedleaf's paws.

"How's the kit?" he asked

"He's with his friends, resting peacefully for now," the she-cat told him, "Thank you for the vole, Firepaw…"

Firepaw dipped his head,

"Sure, is there anything else you need?"

Spottedleaf shook her head,

"Oh, but Yellowfang might need something, wait here for a moment."

She hurried to the back of den, getting a pawful of small seeds. She wrapped them in a leaf and made her way over to the young tom,

"Give these to Yellowfang, for her leg….it must be painful."

Firepaw took the seeds and dipped his head in acknowledgement before retreating outside the den. No sooner had he gone than a cry came from outside,

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Haibara perked her ears at the sound, watching as Spottedleaf headed out of the den,

"What was that?" she asked

"Bluestar," Spottedleaf explained, "You can come with me if you want."

Haibara glanced at Ayumi and Genta, who were still hunched over Mitsuhiko's still form. It was obvious they hadn't heard the summons,

"Yes, I'll come…they'll want to be alone with Tsuburaya-kun."

The two she-cats made their way to the Highledge, along with most of the Clan. Haibara spotted Ran padding wearily to the font of the crowd, she was tired but triumph sparkled in her eyes while Shinichi stuck close to her side. His eyes narrowed with annoyance yet a loving light in them as well. As soon as he saw her he exchanged a few words with Ran then bounded to her side,

"How's Mitsuhiko doing?"

"He's sleeping at the moment…Ayumi and Genta a with him."

Glancing over at Spottedleaf she lowered her voice,

"There is a chance that he won't make it," she explained, sadness brimming her eyes, "Spottedleaf said that the next twenty-four hours will be the critical period for him…if he survives it, she is fairly certain he will pull through."

Shinichi nodded, his own eyes clouded with remorse and sadness.

Bluestar's yowl distracted their attention,

"I have talked with the loners who came to our camp a few moments ago and assessed their abilities. They have decided that they want to join ThunderClan."

Haibara glanced at Shinichi in confusion. The young tom merely shrugged and said,

"Mitsuhiko needs the care and we can't know if the other Clans in this forest are as nice as these cats are."

"They aren't…" a voice croaked.

The two turned at the voice and saw a old, grey she-cat glancing up at them. Her amber eyes glared at them, a yellow, chipped tooth poked out of her upper lip. Shinichi dipped his head in greeting,

"Are you Yellowfang?" he asked politely

The ragged she-cat seemed surprised by his kindness before the guarded expression returned.

"Yes…I was once ShadowClan's medicine cat."

Shinichi sat down, intrigued, waiting for the she-cat to continue. Yellowfang's eyes narrowed in amusement,

"Not now, young one….I believe Bluestar needs to see you."

She flicked her tail in the direction of the Highledge and Haibara saw that Bluestar was looking towards them expectantly. She ducked her head in embarrassment and hissed at Shinichi, who looked equally embarrassed. The two bounded over to the Highledge and waited below it. Haibara noticed that Ran, Kazuha, Heiji and the two remaining Detective Boys had gathered at the same place. Bluestar's eyes flashed in amusement before she spoke again,

"As I was saying, I agreed to take in and train these young cats and now I will give them their apprentice names."

The ThunderClan leader jumped down in front of the group. She stood before Ran first,

"From this day forward, until she has earned her Warrior name, this apprentice will be know as Dapplepaw."

She stepped forward and placed her muzzle on Dapplepaw's head, who bent down to give the leader a respective lick on the shoulder. This process continued for the remaining cats. Kazuha became Fawnpaw, Heiji became Birchpaw, Ayumi and Genta were named Rosepaw and Heavypaw respectively and Shinichi was named Duskpaw. Finally Bluestar stood over Haibara, who tensed in anticipation. After what seemed like an eon, the leader spoke,

"From this day forward, until she has earned her Warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Goldenpaw."

Goldenpaw breathed a sigh of relief, the tension leaving her body. Bluestar turned her attention to the rest of the Clan.

"Since the apprentices Dapplepaw, Fawnpaw and Birchpaw are old enough to be Warriors, Lionheart and I will take turns training these three for two moons and then assess them to see if they are ready to be Warriors. Meanwhile the other apprentices will assigned temporary mentors until I decide who would be best to mentor them. Willowpelt, you will mentor Rosepaw, Mousefur you will mentor Heavypaw and Runningwind, you will mentor Duskpaw."

Goldenpaw cocked her head to the side,

"What about me Bluestar?"

The leader's narrowed in kindness,

"Spottedleaf has asked me to mentor you herself, do you consent?"

Goldenpaw blinked in surprise, turning toward the medicine cat,

"You showed great intelligence when I was showing you the herbs…" Spottedleaf murmured, "I think you would make a great medicine cat."

A warm feeling blossomed in Goldenpaw and her eyes softened,

"I would be honored, Spottedleaf."

The tortoiseshells eyes brightened happily,

"Come, you have much to learn."

Together the two she-cats headed for the medicine cat den, so Goldenpaw could begin her training.


End file.
